This invention relates to an electric toaster and more particularly to a control circuit for an electric toaster which allows immediate reset of the toaster into a new toasting cycle.
The common electric toaster found in most homes employs a bimetallic sensor that deflects from heat and activates a circuit that causes the toast carriage to move in the toaster housing from a lower toasting position to an upper non-toasting position. When the toast carriage moves to its non-toasting position the heating elements of the toaster are deenergized. A color control adjustment lever or knob is typically provided to enable the user of the toaster to select the desired degree of toasting. When it is desired to have a darker colored toast, the bimetallic sensor must deflect to a greater degree to activate the latch mechanism to allow the carriage to move from its toasting position to its non-toasting position. Conversely, an adjustment to a lighter toast color results in the bimetallic member deflecting a smaller distance.
Once a first toasting cycle has been completed, it has heretofore been very difficult to immediately start a next toasting cycle. The problem has been caused as a result of the bimetallic sensor not having cooled to a sufficient lower temperature level to permit the toaster carriage to be latched into its toasting position. Typically, a pop-up solenoid is used as the latching mechanism to retain the carriage in its toasting position. If the sensor has not cooled sufficiently to enable the solenoid to be retained in its latched position, the carriage will be immediately returned to its non-toasting position and the solenoid will produce an annoying buzz sound as the user attempts to hold the cycle button or lever down, while the pop-up solenoid is releasing the carriage to move the carriage to its non-toasting position.
Some toasters have utilized additional ventilation holes to allow cool air to flow past the sensor element to try to lower the temperature of the sensor element relatively quickly. However, the attempted resolution has not been entirely satisfactory and it has been found that particularly when the prior toasting cycle produced a relatively dark piece of toast, the next toasting cycle could not be started as quickly as desired.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an electric toaster wherein the toaster can be immediately reset into a successive toasting cycle.